Okay,
this is my very first ever Power Ranger's fic, but this like
the third repost. I have revised this several times, and finally, I
believe that this revision will do it justice. Hope you enjoy this
one of the few Jack-centic fics here on
size=1 width=100% noshade>

Rainfall Reflections

xxx

New Tech City, a little after midnight, the rain pours heavily down
upon the city. The city was built shortly after the turn of the
century, right after Power Ranger teams became more common around the
world and Earth opened its doors to alien outsiders. Unlike many of the
planets in space, Earth became a melting pot of sorts for the many
races of the galaxy, much like how the United States did during its
early years of colonization. Technology was brought in from other
planets, making Earth one of the most highly technological giant of the
galaxy.

The rain poured down heavily upon the tin roof of a small shack on top
of an abandoned building. The two occupants residing inside it had
claimed the small building as their home for the longest. It had been
raining hard all day, hindering the two thieves from venturing out. So
the two had opted to stay indoors for the remainder of the day and
night. They had enough food to last them the night; they would go
'shopping' in the morning.

Jack sighs as he looks out a nearby window. He had been careful not to
wake up his long time friend, Z, when he had gotten out of their bed
and walked over to the window to watch the rain fall. He always waited
until Z fell asleep to mope about. There was no reason to let his sour
mood ruin her bright and cheerful personality. In fact, the only thing
that brings a smile to his face is helping the other homeless folks get
food and clothing… and just being with Z. They have been together on
the streets together for five years. And even though times where hard,
he would not take the last five years back.

Jack smiles briefly as he remembers the first time he met Z. He had to
be around 14 at the time for Jack doesn't know the real date of his
birth. He was busy looking through several garbage pins for food. He
had heard someone crying. After finding enough food that wasn't spoiled
or to dirty, he walked around the large bin and spotted the young Z,
crying her heart out thanks to the cruelty of the world.

"Hey what's wrong," Jack had asked her. "Why are you crying?"

The 12 year old Puerto-Rican female had stubbornly wiped her eyes dry
of her tears before looking up at the slightly older African American
boy. "I'm not crying! And what do you care?"

"Who says I do," Jack had snapped back. But after seeing
her flinch, he sighed and dropped down to the ground beside her. He
opened up the banged up pizza box that he had filled with edible foods
out of the bin behind them. "Hungry? It's not the best stuff in the world, but it's not spoiled, so that's a plus. It is probably not even a day old..."

Z didn't have to be asked twice as she digs into the pile of food that
Jack had offered her. Jack grined as he watched her eat at a rapid
place. It had been a good two days since she had last ate, before she
took off running from her school and was attacked by those
weird-looking robots. "Hey,
careful now, don't eat it so fast, you'll give yourself hiccups. And
save some for me. I have been collecting this up for a while now."

Z begins to eat on the slice of pizza slower. "Yeah. And... thank you for the food. It's good."

A friendly silence comes between the two young strangers as they eat
away at the pile of pizza, bread, jelly beans and other such sorted
items. Jack looked up at the dark haired-brunette, a smile on his face.
"My name is Jack. Jack Landors."

Z finishes chewing up and swallowing the food that was already in her mouth before answering. "Elizabeth Delgado. You can call me Z."

"You homeless too?" Jack asked her as he slide closer to
her, so they could talk better and not have to reach for the food in
the pizza box that he was still he holding onto

"Kinda," Z had shrugged.

"Kinda," Jack had raised an eyebrow. "That's not an answer. You either are, or you aren't."

Z rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. At least someone was talking
to her without calling her a freak or being mean to her. "Well, I ran away from the orphanage that I was staying at."

"Why?"

"I was being picked on by the other students in my school. And
the teasing and the name calling only were worse at the orphanage. I
just got tired of it all."

"That's not a real good reason to be running. At least you had steady meals and a place over your head."
Jack tried to reason. He didn't want the rather cute Hispanic girl to
be on the streets. He had seen what the streets can do young girls on
the run. "Streets are no place for girls... no place for anybody really..."

Seeing that the argument was going no where, Jack smiled and offered his hand to her. "Well,
you are most certainly welcomed to stay with me. I know a great place
that no one really occupies. Aside from me that is. It keeps me out of
the rain, and it's a great hiding place. That's where I stay at.
There's plenty of room."

"Really,"Z's eyes sparkled. The first person that has been
nice to her since... forever is now offering her to stay with him. A
friend and shelter! But her smile soon falls and she lowers her head. "No. You say that now, but once you find out what I can do… what I am... you'll boot me away like everyone else has."

"Now why would you say something like that," Jack asked.

"Because of this," Z's eyes had flashed and standing
before the two, was an exact duplicate of Z. Same clothing, same pizza
sauce stains around her mouth, same black biker's hat on her head… same
downcast expression. "I'm a freak..."

Jack jumps up quickly, but his reaction toward Z's powers was quite the opposite that Z was expecting. "Whoa! There are now two of you! That's so cool! I thought that I was the only one with powers!"

"You have powers too," Z asked as she stood. She snaps her
finger, which in turn causes her duplicate to disappear. She wipes her
mouth on the side of her black leather jacket. "What can you do?"

Jack grinned. "Watch."

Jack had turned and walked toward the wall. Z's eyes widen once she
realized that Jack had completely walked right through the wall beside
the dumpster. A few moments later, Jack leans his head through the
wall, smiling back at her before he pulled the rest of his body through
the concrete wall. Even back then, he kept his hair in neat dreadlocks.
"Cool huh?"

"Wow, that was," Z grined as she began to jump up and down in excitement. "This is totally cool! You have powers just like me! Well, not exactly like me, but still!"

Jack grasped her hands tenderly, signaling for her to stop jumping in place. Jack grins back at her. "So
what do you say? Wanna come live with me? Living alone and collecting
food by myself can get real lonely at times. And I don't really have
any friends... not since I lost my mom and day and began living on my
own."

The sky above them began to rumble, letting them know that a storm was nearing the area.

"Come on," Jack replied as he grabbed the pizza box from
the ground. He then grasped Z's hand and the two quickly head toward
Jack's home, hoping to beat the rain before it begins pouring.

And thus, their partnership was born. For the past five years, the two
have never really been far away from the other. They became like two
peas in a pod, helping each other out and supporting the other. Even
when they began stealing food and clothing for themselves and other
homeless folk, they only had the other's safety on their mind. Though
not related by blood, they consider each other family. The love they
share for each other is simply just. Two tired souls, brought together
at a young age.

Jack sighs once again, still watching the rain pour down outside. Its
days like this that really bring out the sad side of him, the side that
really doesn't let his beautiful friend see. But at the same time,
these days always remind him of how he met her. She's very beautiful,
Jack thinks to himself as he turns and looks back at his sleeping
friend. They were able to find a better bed mattress that someone had
thrown out. They claimed the mattress for themselves and moved it up to
their little home, the same on that Jack invited her to stay in with
him, five years earlier. I just wish that she didn't see me as a brother...

One would never know that she is homeless, much like himself. The two
always had tried to keep an up-touch appearance, so that when they do
steal, they won't look like two thieves. If they did look like bums,
then the authorities would simply keep their eyes on them the entire
time they went into public places, but then again, their faces are
somewhat known by everyone now. However, whenever they did steal
clothing for themselves, they didn't steal the good stuff, only the
things that they were sure that people would simply look over.

The two are only trying to survive, not impress anyone.

Jack knows that they cannot continue to do this forever. There has to
be something more, something better out in the world for them. After
all, why would they have powers, and other earthlings do not? Was it
mere coincidence that they had ran into each other, or where they fated
to come together? As Jack ponders this, still looking out the window,
he doesn't hear Z walk over to him. Only did he realize that she was
awake was when her arms circled around his waist and she rested her
head on his bare shoulder.

"What are you doing up," she asks, nuzzling against the back of his neck.

"Couldn't sleep. The rain woke me up." Jack replies, trying to ignore the feel of her breasts against his bare backside.

"It was raining when we laid down to begin with Jack." Z counters
sleepily, but her ever present smile gracing her lips. "It's not going
to stop raining simply because you decide to stare at it."

"I know," Jack grins as he turns his head and plants a kiss on her
forehead; his short dreadlocks tangling into Z's finer hair. "What are
you doing up? You were sleeping so well earlier."

"I got a chill. Then I realized that you were no longer lying next to
me. Come back to bed Jack." Z blows a raspberry onto his neck causing
him to squirm lightly. "Please Jack? It's cold..."

Jack turns around in her arms and his arms circle her waist. They have
limited clothing, but they always had done their best to steal good,
warm night clothes, with consisted of good wool and cotton. That was
one of the few things that they spoiled themselves with. Jack allows
himself to be dragged back to their mattress where Z then stands in
front of him and pushes him down on it. She grabs the rather thick
blanket and sheets and lies next to him, and covers them both with the
thick material. She snuggles up against Jack and lays her head on his
chest. She sighs and closes her eyes. Now with Jack beneath her, she is
able to fall back to sleep, content knowing that he is there.

"I love you Jack," Z mumbles lightly, in that thin place between conscious and sleep.

Jack gently rubs her back. He continues caressing her back, even after
she is asleep. He leans forward and plants another kiss on her
forehead, and another gentler one on her full lips. He knows that she
spoke that in the most platonic way possible, but it will have to do.

"I promise Z, things will get better," Jack tells her softly, knowing
that she cannot hear him in her sleep. "We won't be on the streets
forever. You and I, we're destined for something great. I know we are.
That's why we were brought together... we are meant for each other."

Now content, his heart at ease, Jack wraps his arms around her and soon
joins Z in sleep. The steady sounds of the rainfall on the roof
continue on into the following day, forever serving as a remind of two
tearful and sad soles being united.

END

This was my VERY fist PR fanfic, that I wrote back in 2005. I wrote it
probably around the airing of the Episode Sam. Anyways, it also was the
key element in my focus in on the Jack and Z romantic pairing. These
days, its mostly Bridge/Z or Sky/Z fics that are in demand, but I have
made it my sole mission to provide the fandom with a regular dose of
Jack/Z fics, and hopefully entertain a few unbiased readers.

Blanks

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.